Thomas Gordon (Royal Scots Navy officer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Gordon
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| Born | 1658 Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Died | 18 March 1741 (aged 83) Kronstadt, Russian Empire |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of Great Britain Russian Empire |
| Service/ |
 Royal Scots Navy Royal Navy Imperial Russian Navy |
| Years of service | 1703 - 1714 1717 - 1741 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | War of the Spanish Succession
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Admiral Thomas Gordon (around 1658–1741) was a brave Scottish sailor. He started his career as a commodore in the Royal Scots Navy and later became an admiral in the powerful Imperial Russian Navy. Gordon was known for his skill in naval battles and for serving two different countries with distinction.
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Early Life and Scottish Roots
Thomas Gordon was likely born in Aberdeen, Scotland, around 1658. His family might have been connected to Doctor Thomas Gordon and Jean Hay. He was considered an important person in Aberdeen. In 1736, he was even made an honorary citizen, called a burgess, of the town.
The city of Aberdeen officially recognized him, saying he was from a noble Scottish family. They noted that he had been a good citizen of Aberdeen from a young age. They also praised him for protecting the city's trade and ships from pirates and enemies when he was in the British navy. Even after he became a high-ranking admiral in Russia, he continued to help his hometown.
Starting His Sailing Career
Before joining the navy, Gordon was a captain of a merchant ship named Margaret from Aberdeen in 1693. Merchant ships carried goods for trade. He traveled to places like Shetland, Sweden, Norway, and Holland. He even got a special pass to sail safely to the Barbary States in North Africa, which were known for pirates.
In 1703, Thomas Gordon officially joined the Royal Scots Navy. He became the captain of a ship called the Royal Mary. This ship was prepared to protect Scotland's east coast from enemy ships and privateers. Privateers were like legal pirates, allowed by their government to attack enemy ships.
Protecting Scottish Waters
Captain Gordon was very successful. In May 1704, his ship, the Royal Mary, captured a French privateer called the "Fox." He took the captured ship to Leith, and the French crew were held there. Later that year, he captured another privateer from Dunkirk called Marmedon. Gordon's actions helped to stop the privateer problem for a while.
In 1705, he captured a Dutch ship named Catherine. This caused a big problem because the Dutch claimed the ship had permission to trade. However, it turned out the ship also had a secret French passport, which was illegal. Gordon also captured a small privateer from Ostend and renamed it Little Gordon.
Challenges and Changes
During this time, there were tensions between the Scottish and English governments. One event that caused bad feelings was the trial and execution of Captain Thomas Green and his officers from an English ship in Leith. They were accused of piracy, even though there wasn't strong evidence. This made relations between Scotland and England difficult.
Some Scottish nobles were also secretly supporting Jacobites. Jacobites wanted to bring back the old royal family, the Stewarts, to the throne. A French spy named Colonel Nathaniel Hooke landed in Scotland to meet with these Jacobite leaders. Commodore Gordon, despite being loyal to the Scottish navy, had secret signals with the French ship that brought Hooke over. This shows the complex political situation of the time.
Negotiations were happening for Scotland and England to unite and form Great Britain. Commodore Gordon told the French that he might have to leave the Scottish navy if the Union happened. He didn't want to take an oath against the old King James Stewart.
When the Act of Union was passed in 1707, the Scottish Navy joined the Royal Navy. This caused some issues. Scottish captains argued about their rank compared to English captains. It was decided their service time would count from when Queen Anne gave them their commissions.
The Scottish ships were also renamed. The Royal William became the Edinburgh, and the Royal Mary became the Glasgow. These names are still used for Royal Navy ships today. Many Scottish sailors were unhappy about joining the British navy. One hundred of Gordon's men even refused to sail, fearing they would be sent to distant lands like the West Indies. They preferred to stay in Scottish and European waters.
In 1708, Captain Gordon was given command of the Leopard (a ship with 50 guns). He showed great bravery in a battle off Montrose against French ships. Gordon captured a French warship called the 'Salisbury', which was the only prize taken in that fight. The French ships were scattered, and the British navy was praised for stopping a possible French invasion.
In 1709, Gordon took command of the Moor, and his son William joined him. Later, he commanded the Advice. However, when King George I came to the throne in 1714, Gordon refused to take an oath of loyalty to him. Because of this, he resigned from the Royal Navy.
After leaving the British navy, Thomas Gordon looked for new opportunities. He traveled to France and then was hired by Peter the Great, the Tsar of Russia, in 1717. Gordon remained an officer in the Russian Navy until his death in 1741.
Rising Through the Ranks
Gordon quickly rose in the Russian Navy. There were older admirals retiring, and new ships needed commanders. On New Year's Day, he was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Red. The Russian fleet was organized into three sections, similar to the British and Dutch navies.
However, Gordon faced rivalry with another admiral named Sievers. Sievers was from Copenhagen and had served in the Danish navy. He was very smart and organized, but he didn't like Gordon. Sievers felt that Peter the Great favored Gordon, especially because Gordon had trained in the British navy, which was considered better. Even though Gordon couldn't speak Russian, he was fluent in Dutch.
Their rivalry became very public in 1721 during a banquet. Gordon complained that Sievers was giving the best officers and men to Danish and Dutch commanders. The Tsar tried to make them friends by making them drink wine together, hoping to end their arguments.
Major Victories
In 1726, Admiral Gordon led a Russian fleet to meet a powerful British fleet in the Baltic Sea. Instead of fighting, they exchanged friendly greetings. Gordon had advised the Russian Empress Catherine I that fighting would be pointless.
On May 6, 1727, Gordon was promoted to full admiral. In November, he became the chief commander of the important port of Kronstadt, a position he held until he died there in 1741.
Gordon's most famous battle in the Russian Navy was the Siege of Danzig in 1734. The Russian Navy had become very strong. A claimant to the Polish throne, Stanisław Leszczyński, was hiding in Danzig and was supported by France. The Russian Empress Anna wanted Augustus III to be the new king of Poland.
Admiral Gordon sailed to Danzig with a large fleet of fourteen battleships, five frigates, and other smaller vessels. His flag was on the 100-gun ship Peter I and II. He arrived on June 1, and the French forces failed to stop the Russian army and navy. Danzig surrendered on June 13. This victory helped Augustus III become the King of Poland. This was Gordon's last major battle. He knew Danzig well from his merchant sailing days and from escorting Scottish ships there.
Family Life
Admiral Gordon's wife was named Margaret Ross. She was the widow of Mr. William Monypenny. Margaret is believed to be the daughter of George Ross, 11th Lord Ross. She passed away before 1721 and was buried near the Tsar's sister.
Gordon had at least two sons. One son, William, sailed with him on the Moor. Another son, Thomas Gordon, became a merchant in Saint Petersburg. He also had three daughters: Anna, Mary, and Jean.
His daughter Jean married John Young. Their daughter, Ann Young, married Lieutenant Thomas MacKenzie in 1738. Their son, born in 1740, was also named Thomas Mackenzie. This grandson became a rear admiral in the Russian Navy and founded the city of Sevastopol in 1783. In 1771, young Thomas MacKenzie was honored for his bravery in the Battle of Chesma during the Russo-Turkish War, where he helped destroy the Turkish fleet.
